Residence Inn Sandestin at Grand Boulevard — Hotel in Miramar Beach

I’m a big review writer since I base my vacation choices heavily on other peoples reviews. We were on a family vacation to Destin and knew nothing about it except people told us it was beautiful and the sand was white. We stayed at the Residence Inn Marriott Grand Boulevard in Sand Destine. This hotel was perfect for my family of 5, which included my husband, my daughter (age 11), two sons (ages 9 and 2) and myself. The hotel had pretty curb appeal, grounds were very clean, had character throughout, family friendly, pet friendly, parking was plentiful and complimentary. Front desk was super nice and so were the cleaning staff. There were places to sit outside both for breakfast and hanging out as well as a grill to use. The pool was clean, refreshing and my kids loved going in after coming back from the beach or before bed. People talked about how good the breakfast was in other reviews. The breakfast was outstanding. Literally there where 40 choices. There was a make your own waffles section, bagels, pastries, muffins, all kinds of cereal, scrambled egg, sausages, bacon, biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, an assortment of fruit, yogurts, variety of cheeses like Brie and crackers, items to go in your yogurts like granola and in your oatmeal, multiple choices of coffee, tea and juices. There wasn’t anything they didn’t have and it was delicious. It was a huge savings for us to have breakfast included. I also want to mention that on Monday-Wed nights from 6-7:30pm they also feed you complimentary lite picky food in the lobby. Which I have never seen any hotel have complimentary food in the evening. Each night was different, offered two appetizers, fruit, water, sodas, beer and wine. Yes, I did say complimentary beer and wine. The room accommodations we had was a two bedroom suite which had two separate bedrooms with their own doors and full bathrooms. Each bedroom had a queen bed, its own dresser, closet and TV. Between the bedrooms was the main living area. It had a full kitchen which included a stove, full refrigerator, dish washer, microwave, toaster, dishes, bowls, glasses, pans, utensils, table and chairs to eat. The kitchen also included dish clothes, dish soap, dish washer soap and paper towels. Within the same main common area was a living room with a pull out sofa which sleeps two, chair, table and TV. We were all spread out and very comfortable. The room was good size, clean, plenty of towels, the bed and pillows were very comfortable....

An unpleasant situation happened after encountering the night staff one Friday night. The two employees made me feel unwelcomed after I had gone through identity theft. They began to corner me at around 11:30 and proceeded to throw me out. I had asked to use the business center to book my room, because my phone was not charged. I requested several times to speak to a manager, but the I was denied. I had my ID with me at the time and I requested assistance as Platinum elite status. The main attendant called Marriott for me as a courtesy and I explained the situation about my purse missing. I reported this earlier that evening. However, after the call, the attendant failed to accommodate me. The phone representative hands were tied. The male attendant underminded me before and began this mistreatment again. I had explained my purse was missing earlier, some of my belongings were in a bag with me. The desk attendant questioned me where was my bags. Did I need write him a full summary? I felt the situation was biasis and rather predijudice, with racial tension coming from the main attendant. They both cornered me and we're throwing out, I told them earlier about the unfortunate situation. Where was I to go at 11:30 at night, I was stranded? I explained this to them, why was I not being accommodated. They then asked for my families number to contact them, they looked at me like I was completely helpless and some kind of endangerment. They said let's help you, surrounding me like I was charity case. At around midnight? Why This was unethical, very strange. I had never been through anything like before. I had regularly stayed with the Marriott brand. This was totally out of character for this hotel chain and very unprofessional. I proceeded to exit the hotel and not to book here again. I don't recommend staying here, their staff is very biasis. They treated me like I was less than, it's was terrible.

Update: Manager on duty accuses on the phone today me of having female issues on their business property and stated she has video footage of my interactions. She also interpruppted me in the middle of stating my experience, this is unprofessional and terrible business to accuse a guest. Bad business.

Is this completely accurate? No. I would be very cautious of staying here, their very biasis about the guests who stay on property. I will not visit this hotel again, I'm very upset about how I was...

After a deeply unsettling experience at another property, I arrived at Residence Inn Marriott Sandestin questioning whether my week-long stay was salvageable.

What I found instead was a masterclass in hospitality.

From reservations to checkout, every single touchpoint felt intentional. Not performative…intentional.

There’s a difference…and this team understands it.

The people who made it unforgettable:

Ms. Lhanie (Front Desk): Stored my bags during a critical business meeting without hesitation. Seamless.

Mr. Danniel (Front Desk/Reservations): Called me personally before arrival to ensure my room was ready early. That level of proactive service? Rare.

Ms. Maria (Housekeeping): Greeted me with genuine warmth every single day. Asked if I needed anything, and you could tell she actually meant it.

Ms. Adela (Kitchen Staff): Created plant-based breakfast options that addressed my allergies without me having to ask twice. The care was evident.

Mr. Marco (Front Desk): Patiently answered all 60 (yes, sixty 😅) of my pre-arrival questions with kindness and thoroughness. Never once made me feel like a burden.

Mr. O’Brian (Front Desk): Offered restaurant recommendations that were actually good, plus travel tips for my next destination. Great sense of humor…even better sense of service.

Mr. Adrian (Guest Manager): His leadership was on full display throughout my stay. I watched him handle both staff and guests with empathy, efficiency, and excellence. The culture here clearly starts with him.

Here’s what luxury actually means:

It’s not just thread count or marble countertops (though those were impeccable).

It’s Ms. Maria’s smile in the hallway.

It’s Mr. Danniel’s proactive phone call.

It’s Mr. Marco’s patience with my anxiety-driven questions.

It’s Mr. Adrian’s visible leadership that makes everyone want to show up like this.

After the chaos I experienced elsewhere, this felt like coming home.

To the entire Residence Inn Marriott Sandestin team:

Thank you for turning what could have been a stressful week into a restorative, luxurious experience.

You didn’t just provide accommodation…you provided peace of mind.

That’s priceless.

Still grateful and already planning...